Over the past couple of years there have been a few posts dedicated to domestic LLM candidates interested in pursuing a career in teaching or seeking a LLM for other reasons.

There's not much information out there on admission standards for domestic LLM candidates not pursuing tax degrees. I fit into this category and it would be very helpful to hear -- if you're a domestic applicant and have been accepted or rejected (or are still waiting) -- your perspective on domestic admissions.

I'm interested in Harvard, Yale (do they even admit domestics?), Columbia, Chicago, and NYU. Should there be other places on my list? What do you need as a domestic student to get admitted?

I'm reposting this.

If you are a domestic student admitted into an LLM program please give advise on how to get admitted to a program.

Over the past couple of years there have been a few posts dedicated to domestic LLM candidates interested in pursuing a career in teaching or seeking a LLM for other reasons.

There's not much information out there on admission standards for domestic LLM candidates not pursuing tax degrees. I fit into this category and it would be very helpful to hear -- if you're a domestic applicant and have been accepted or rejected (or are still waiting) -- your perspective on domestic admissions.

I'm interested in Harvard, Yale (do they even admit domestics?), Columbia, Chicago, and NYU. Should there be other places on my list? What do you need as a domestic student to get admitted?

I faced the same problem last year, so I hope this helps.

I am currently a domestically trained LL.M. at CLS not interested in tax. I was admitted directly after my J.D. at a top-50 law school (state university). I was also admitted to the program at NYU, but was denied from Harvard. There are only five domestically trained LL.M. students in a class of 225 LL.M.s (eleven if you count those trained in Puerto Rico). I believe there were around 75-100 applicants for those five spots.

In terms of my track record... I graduated in the top 4% of my class, was the N&C Editor on the Law Review, a member of the mock trial team, and booked five classes (including con law 1 and 2) and earned the second highest grade in four others. After my first summer I interned at the public defender's office, and after my second summer, I clerked for a judge on my state's court of appeals.

I think what got me in was my personal statement explaining my desire to teach law, and a sterling recommendation letter from a professor who taught me for four semesters (who happened to be a Columbia alumnus--which I don't think mattered much).

I would have NEVER been able to get into Columbia Law after college (GPA and LSAT scores were not stellar). But, now that I'm here, I earned nearly straight A's in the first semester.

I wish those who apply the best of luck. CLS is an absolutely fantastic school, and the experience of learning from some of the country's best professors is incredible. As someone who was public schooled my entire life, experiencing the resources that a billion dollar endowment can offer is mind-blowing.

Before applying, however, you should take stock in what you want out of the program. I decided half-way through that I would like to practice at BigLaw for a few years, however, I am still jobless. I'm certain that the economy has something to do with this, but don't expect the career services center to find you a job (they have been almost useless to me). Columbia does NOT let you participate in the regular OCI program either. This can be particularly problematic for those of you who received JD's from lesser schools. When it comes to domestic LL.M.s, the school just seems to be oblivious of what to do with you (five students in an entire school do not rank high on the Columbia's list of priorities). Be prepared to work hard to find work--or better yet, come here with a job already in your pocket.

With that said, the networking potential is staggering... Unfortunately, no one I networked with had a job to give.

Regardless, I have had a great experience, and I wouldn't trade it for anything. Good luck again. Post any questions if you have them.

rbw, thanks for posting. I was hoping someone in your shoes would post as your situation provides a great perspective on these questions.

You said you have changed tracks a bit and are now interested in BigLaw. My question for you is whether any of your domestic colleagues at CLS are interested in teaching jobs - and how helpful the CLS LLM credential has been in that search. (Or, same question for you, if you decided to go back to the teaching market).

If it helps you answer the question, my credentials are: top 5% at a JD school ranked in the lower half of the top 100, editorial position on law review, booked several classes, post-grad clerkship on my state supreme court, and four years of practice at a big firm in the area I'd like to teach in (energy/environmental law).

As I mentioned earlier in the thread, I was admitted to the LLM program at HLS. If I add that credential, will that be enough - or will I just have thrown $50k away because hiring committees will still look at my lower-ranked JD school?

Thanks in advance.